Casablanca Marina

Casablanca was built as a port and then walled off from its own sea by rail lines, industrial ground and the port perimeter - for most of the twentieth century the city centre had no relationship with the water at all. The marina project, begun in the 2000s on reclaimed and cleared land between the old port, the medina and the Hassan II mosque, is the attempt to reverse that: a yacht basin, an esplanade, offices, apartments, hotels and a shopping centre, connected by a promenade that now lets you walk from the medina to the mosque along the water, which was not possible before. It is corporate and unfinished in stretches and it works as a walk. The Hassan II mosque at the western end is the point most people are heading for; the old medina and the Sqala are at the eastern end, and the two together make a reasonable half day.

What you actually see

• A city reconnected to its sea - a promenade where rail and port ground once blocked it.
• A yacht basin and esplanade - the new quarter's core, with offices and hotels behind.
• A continuous walk - from the medina to the Hassan II mosque along the water.
• Work in progress - stretches still under construction.

When to go

All year; late afternoon towards the mosque. Two to three hours.

Honest expectations

Parts remain building sites and the quarter is corporate rather than characterful. There is little shade on the esplanade. Prices in the restaurants are high for Casablanca. Wind off the Atlantic is constant.

Nearby

The Hassan II mosque is west; the old medina and the port are east.